Leon Trotsky

“ The independent policy of the working class, which is in fact to oppose imperialism with internationalism—that is the ‘anarchy’ hostile to the wealthy classes throughout the world, independent of the form of state organisation beneath which the interests of capital are hidden. At the same time, Avksentyev, whose wisdom impressed no one at the Moscow conference, is nevertheless considered sufficiently wise to smash the workers’ press and to imprison Bolsheviks by ‘extrajudicial procedure’ ”

“ Against the wishes of the, government, the Moscow military authorities, the SR Menshevik majority in the Moscow Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Delegates, the trades unions decreed and brought about a general strike against the government’s foisting of a counter revolutionary parliament on Moscow. The trades unions are the purest, most unadulterated, organisations of the proletariat, i.e. of that class which by its unstinting toil creates Moscow’s power and wealth. And it is these trades unions who unite the flower of the working class—the fundamental driving force of the present day economy ”

“ The mass of workers nominate those who, locally, in everyday life, have proved their determination, efficiency and devotion to the workers’ interests. And of course the factory committees, as has been shown once more at the latest conference, are in an overwhelming majority made up of Bolsheviks. In the Petrograd trades unions everyday practical work, just like the ideological leadership, lies wholly with the Bolsheviks. In the workers’ section of the Petrograd Soviet the Bolsheviks constitute an overwhelming majority. ”

“ Gazeta’ regards the workers as criminals for refusing to subordinate their own class struggle in all its manifestations to the will of the non proletarian section of the Moscow Soviet. The supremacy of the petty bourgeoisie over the proletariat is elevated to the supreme principle of social democratic principles. ”

“ The peasants can see and hear that it is those very authorities,. for the very same reasons, that are crushing the land committees and are persecuting the Bolsheviks. The soldiers can observe the wild hallooing directed at the Bolsheviks and at the same time sense the counter revolutionary noose growing ever tighter round their neck. ”

“ Any intelligent person (or any fool) knows that to save Russia a merciless struggle with anarchy on the left and counter revolution on the right’ is essential. This constitutes the essence of the entire programme of Izvestia’, Delo Naroda’, Rabochaya Gazeta’ . ”